This vividly-colored 3-inch freshwater fish is known as one of the most vibrant fishes in North America. The candy darter prefers shallow, fast flowing streams with rocky bottoms and has been lost from at least half its range in the Southeastern US. It is listed as Endangered, and won 368 Stream Miles of Protected Critical Habitat in West Virginia in April 2021.  However the rollback of Clean Water Act under Trump administration is a grave threat as it leads to pollution of fresh water streams. Additional threats: Silting, competition and Climate Change.